Fluid container opener



.Fuiy 25, 1950 ca. P. BARLOW FLUID CONTAINER OPENER Filed Dec. 1'7, 194'? I11 ventar Gar/and P. Bar/ow Patented July 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT 1 OFFICE FLUID CONTAINER Garland P. Barlow, Dunbar, Va.

Application December 17, 1947,, Serial No. 792499 4 Claims. I

This invention relates to a can opener and has for its principal object the provision of an opener particularly adapted for opening a fluid container.

Another object of this invention is to provide means especially adapted for opening fluid containers, whereby a cut may be formed in the can for pouring the contents and an air vent may be punched in the can at the same time and during the same operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide resilient means for urging the cutting and punching means from the can, after the cut and air vent have been made in the top of the can.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for guiding the cutter, so that the opening will be made adjacent the peripheral edge of the top of the can.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fluid container opener that will make a safe and swift opening in the top surface of the can, so thata'll of the contents can be poured out easily or can be safely drunk from the can through the large opening without danger of cutting lips.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive mechanism, constructed of durable parts and easily adapted for use with various types and forms of fluid containers.

With these ends and objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other objects are attained, all as hereinafter fully and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the device, showing the cutting and punching means positioned above the top surface of the can;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a structural view of the semi-circular restraining means; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of a fluid container, showing the air vent and opening in the top surface of the can.

In carrying out this invention, there is provided a frame generally denoted by the reference character In. This frame comprises a, vertically extending side bar I2, of any suitable material and size, having opposed outwardly extending arms I4 and I6 formed integrally with the ends thereof. Arm I6 is adapted to serve as a base plate and to provide a seat for a can positioned thereon.

As shown in Figure l, a can 30 is seated upon the base plate and is retained in position by means of the guide member 18. This restraining member i8 is semi-cir0diar in shape and is formed with an outwardly extending flange 19 at its'top surface, adapted to fit over the rim of a can and to hold the can from lateral movement on the base: Suitable means are provided for securing the semi-circular restraining member to the side bar l2-and arepreferably screws 22.

Of course, suitable means are providedto secure the base plate to" a support, such as a table,

it is desired" to secure the frame or to associate the frame with a permanent location and comprise apertures l5 formed on the plate adja-- "receiving a pivot pin 25 th-erethrough for supporting a pair of parallel connecting links 2-6 which extend downwardly from the lever 24.

Pivoted between the lower ends of the connecting links -a bellcran-k which includes a downwardly disposed rod section terminating in an angular blade portion 29. The horizontal extension 28 of the bellcrank is suitably apertured so as to accommodate the punch pin 32 secured therein by means of the nut 34. The opposite end of the punch pin 32 is faired and terminates in a sharp point oppositely spaced from the blade portion.

Suitable means are provided to retain the cutting rod in engagement with the top surface of the can adjacent its peripheral edge and comprises a sleeve 31 securely affixed to the inner surface of the side bar 1!.

Suitable means are provided for urging the cutting and punching means out of the top surface of the can after the holes have been punched therein and comprises a spring 36 secured to the top bar It adjacent the end thereof and secured at the other end to the operating lever 24.

In operation, a can is seated on the base plate and pushed toward the side arm 12 until its peripheral edge is received within the top flange of the semi-circular restraining member l8. An operator then grasping the handle of the operating lever 24 pushes downward, forcing the cutting bar and the punching pin through the top surface of the can. As the operator releases the lever, the spring 36 removes the cutter and puncher from the can.

As shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, a clean and non-jagged cut 38 is formed in the can 20, with the lip of the cut portion extending downwardly and under the top surface of the can, and a small air vent 40 is formed by the punch 32.

As can be seen from the drawings, there has been provided a simple and eflicient device for speedily and conveniently and efficiently providing a hole in the top surface of a fluid container, for removing the fluidtherefrom.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relating to the material, size and shape and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

l. A device for opening fluid container comprising a frame, having a base plate, a vertically extending side bar, a top bar laterally extending from the end of said side bar and overlying said base plate, a lever pivoted to the frame, cutting and punching means operated by said lever, resilient means disposed between said lever and said top bar for biasing said cutting and punching means from a can seated on the base plate, said cutting means including a pair of connecting links pivoted at one end to the lever, a bellcrank pivotally secured to said links, one end of which extends downwardly and terminates in an angularly disposed cutting edge, means secured to said frame to guide said cutter against the top of said container adjacent the peripheral edge thereof.

2. A device for opening a fluid container comprising a base plate, a vertically extending side bar disposed on said base plate, a top bar laterally extendin from the upper end of the side bar and overlying said base plate, a lever pivoted at one end to said side bar, vertical parallel connecting links pivoted at one of their ends to said lever, a bellcrank pivotally carried by the other ends of said links, said bellcrank having a vertically disposed end forming a cutter, ,2. depending punch- 4 ing member carried by the other end of the bellcrank, means disposed on said side bar for guiding the cutting end of the bellcrank against the peripheral edge of a can seated on the base plate and an angular cross sectional shaped semi-circular member carried by said side bar for engaging the top edge of a can to hold the can in alignment with the cutting edge and punching member.

- 3. Thecombination of claim 2, wherein said cutting edge of the ballcrank and said punching member are disposed in parallelism.

- 4. A device for opening a fluid container comprising a base plate, a side bar vertically extending from said base plate, a top bar laterally extending from said side bar and overlying the base plate, a lever pivoted to said side bar adjacent the top bar, a pair of parallel connecting links carried by said lever, a bellcrank pivotally associated with said links, one of the sections of said ,bellcrank being disposed in a vertical plane and terminating in a, cutting edge, a punching member depending from the other section of the bellcrank and disposed parallel to the cutting edge, a sleeve disposed on the inner surface of the side bar for guiding said cutting edge, a sprin disposed betweensaid top bar and the lever for normally urging said cutting edge and punching member upwardly and means carried by said side bar for holding a can on the base plate in alignment with the cutting edge and punching memher. 1

, GARLAND P. BARLOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this'patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 891,443 Ruff June 23, 1908 919,675 Armstrong Apr. 27, 1909 2,001,303 Farrell May 14, 1935 2,059,367 Kittle Nov. 3, 1936 2,095,660 Dooley Oct. 12, 1937 

